Ready for the 40th anniversary of Woodstock? If you're tuned into the national music press, you've probably seen plenty of articles paying homage to the legendary rock festival, which took place Aug. 15-18, 1969, in Bethel, N.Y.

Acts such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, the Band and the Grateful Dead made their marks that weekend. Director Martin Scorsese was part of a film crew on scene, documenting the action -- the music, the mud, the hippies, the vibe.

Several Woodstock veterans have performed concerts here in recent years, and been interviewed by reporters from The Birmingham News. We've reviewed some of their shows, as well. Here's a look back:

INTERVIEWS

ARLO GUTHRIE: "I think of myself as a farmer. I'm just a normal human being. Every once in a while, I get ticked off because I see a little less freedom, a little less liberty, a little less justice. And I write a song about it. These are things worth singing about, to share with other human beings."

(Special) Richie Havens

RICHIE HAVENS: "The songs define my approach to life itself. At age 15, I discovered something, alone or sitting on a stoop somewhere. Nothing's finished. The world's not finished. The great becoming was what I called it. And it takes all of us to do it. That means we have to leap over things and participate."

MELANIE (Interviewed by Kathy Kemp): "'After the '70s, every record company in America wanted me to record schmaltzy ballads in Las Vegas getups, to be an '80s woman, and I just couldn't do it.''

CARLOS SANTANA: "In reality, I am an architect of a new dawn. I play the guitar. I made a decision long ago that I wouldn't wash dishes for a living. I decided to be a total musician, 24 hours a day."

RAVI SHANKAR (Interviewed by Michael Huebner): ''For performing artists, unless they're really down, it's very hard to retire - especially when people want to listen. To tell you the truth, performing in front of audiences is my greatest pleasure.''